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July 11, 2024
4 Big Gender-Affirming Care Decisions From 2024's 1st Half
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed an Idaho law banning gender-affirming care for minors to become effective, the Eleventh Circuit upheld a trial court win for a transgender public safety employee in a healthcare discrimination suit and a Florida federal judge blocked as unconstitutional a state law restricting gender-affirming care for minors and adults.
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July 11, 2024
Jurisdiction Issue May Doom Taliban-Seized Warehouse Suit
A logistics company's suit seeking $41 million in coverage after one of its warehouses in Afghanistan was seized by the Taliban will be tossed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction unless the company can cure the deficiency, which "does not appear feasible," a New York federal court ruled.
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July 11, 2024
Conn. Justices Say Law Firm's Ex Parte Sanctions Were Error
The law firm Brignole Bush & Lewis LLC cannot be sanctioned for engaging in ex parte talks with an expert witness previously disclosed by Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., the opposing party in a car accident case, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
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July 11, 2024
Top Atty At Army Center Of Military History Joins Shook Hardy
The former chief counsel for the U.S. Army Center of Military History has joined Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP as co-chair of the firm's growing art law practice, the firm announced Thursday.
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July 11, 2024
DOL Wants ERISA Investment Advice Regs Kept Afloat
The U.S. Department of Labor is urging a Texas federal court to reject a bid from insurance industry groups to block its new regulations that broaden who qualifies as a fiduciary under federal benefits law, saying the groups are "grasping for a reason" to evade the law.
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July 11, 2024
Insurer Can Tap Trust Fund For Old Claims, Mass. Court Says
A Massachusetts intermediate appellate court concluded Thursday that workers' compensation insurers who are no longer selling policies in the state but still paying benefits on older claims are entitled to seek partial reimbursement from an employer-funded state trust fund, reversing its own prior holding on the question.
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July 11, 2024
Connell Foley Attys Part Of NJ Insurance Trio At Kennedys
Global law firm Kennedys CMK has brought on two former Connell Foley LLP attorneys and a former senior litigation counsel for an insurer to bolster its insurance coverage team in New Jersey, the firm announced Thursday.
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July 11, 2024
Engineering Co. Seeks Coverage Of Deal In $80M Suit
An engineering and design firm said its insurer must reimburse it for a settlement reached in an $80 million unfair business practice lawsuit, telling a Nebraska federal court the insurer wrongfully denied coverage, forcing the firm to defend itself.
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July 10, 2024
Drug Pricing, Overreach Dominate IP Disclaimer Feedback
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has received heated feedback regarding its proposal to make follow-on patents easier to invalidate, with drug pricing advocates applauding it, top technology and pharma companies decrying it, and high-profile officials calling the proposal an overstep of the agency's authority.
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July 10, 2024
Acquitted Fla. Atty's Bankruptcy Case Converted To Ch. 7
A Florida federal bankruptcy judge denied a request Wednesday by an attorney who was acquitted last year in a billion-dollar medical fraud scheme to dismiss his Chapter 11 case and instead converted it to Chapter 7 proceedings, saying the debtor has no job and no way to pay creditors.
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July 10, 2024
Wash. Justices To Review Worker's Asbestos Exposure Row
Washington's highest court agreed to review whether the deliberate intention exception in the state's Industrial Insurance Act prevented a worker from asserting personal injuries against his former employer's successor over a claim that his mesothelioma was caused by employment-related asbestos exposure.
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July 10, 2024
Insurer Must Face Claims In Penile Implant Coverage Suit
An insurer can't escape a suit brought by a urologist and his practice seeking coverage for a proposed class action over a penile enlargement implant and procedure, a California federal court ruled Wednesday, saying it's too early to conclude that the underlying action doesn't assert potentially covered claims.
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July 10, 2024
Margolis Edelstein Fights Bid To Revive Malpractice Suit
An attorney representing Margolis Edelstein told the Delaware Supreme Court on Wednesday that an insurer's malpractice suit against the law firm shouldn't be revived as the firm's purported negligence wasn't the reason the insurer settled an underlying dispute for $1.2 million.
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July 10, 2024
House Panel Votes To Nix Biden's Retirement Advice Rule
A Republican-controlled panel of U.S. House lawmakers advanced legislation Wednesday to block recently finalized regulations from the U.S. Department of Labor that expand the definition of a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, after a brief debate on retirement policy that clearly split along party lines.
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July 10, 2024
Insurer, Property Cos. Settle Lead Poisoning Coverage Suit
An insurer for a Detroit property owner and manager told a Michigan federal court they have settled their coverage dispute over a woman's claims that her 2-year-old girl suffered lead poisoning at the property, which she said was left in a state of disrepair.
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July 10, 2024
Wash. Condo Assoc. Wants Allstate To Cover $9.7M In Repairs
A Washington condominium association is suing Allstate Insurance Co. in federal court, saying it broke their coverage agreement by refusing to cover $9.7 million in repairs for "hidden damage" to the buildings' exteriors.
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July 10, 2024
Ex-Maryland Insurance Commissioner Rejoins DLA Piper
Former Maryland Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Birrane has rejoined DLA Piper to lead the firm's U.S. insurance regulatory practice.
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July 09, 2024
With Chevron's End, LGBTQ+ Healthcare Regs Face New Risk
The end of Chevron deference is already disrupting regulation meant to protect LGBTQ+ access to healthcare, with three federal judges blocking enforcement of a Biden administration rule prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in healthcare.
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July 09, 2024
Healthcare Cases To Watch: A 2024 Midyear Report
Courts across the U.S. this year will oversee key cases to the healthcare industry, from multidistrict litigation over the Change Healthcare hack to a challenge of a state gender-affirming care ban at the Supreme Court. Here are the healthcare cases to watch in the second half of 2024.
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July 09, 2024
NY Judge In Trump Case OKs Narrow Subpoena For Atty
An attorney who told reporters he held an impromptu hallway conversation with a New York state judge in the lead-up to February's $464.6 million civil fraud judgment against Donald Trump must turn over any communications he had with the court regarding the underlying action, according to a Tuesday ruling.
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July 09, 2024
NJ Panel Revokes Coverage For Pharma Co. In Fraud Row
A pharmaceutical company isn't covered for underlying accusations that it was a middleman in a self-dealing scheme orchestrated by its now-deceased board chairman, a New Jersey state appeals court ruled Tuesday, reversing a decision that a capacity exclusion in the company's directors and officers policy didn't apply.
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July 09, 2024
5th Circ. Presses SEC On Whistleblower Award Calculation
The Fifth Circuit heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case accusing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of shortchanging two whistleblowers who uncovered the largest fraud in Texas history, with one judge pressing the agency's attorney over how much money it was able to collect after the fraudster declared bankruptcy.
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July 09, 2024
Aetna Beats Blue Cross In NC Health Plan Contract Battle
An administrative judge affirmed North Carolina's switch of its employee and retiree health plan to Aetna, reasoning Blue Cross Blue Shield failed to prove state officials made errors favoring the competitor when evaluating bids.
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July 09, 2024
CNA Seeks Toss Of Lockheed's Contamination Coverage Suit
A CNA Financial unit urged a Maryland federal court to toss Lockheed Martin's suit accusing the insurer of wrongfully refusing coverage for underlying contamination suits, saying the very same issues are already pending before a New York federal court.
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July 09, 2024
Hospital Operator Leads 2 IPOs Ready To Raise $465M Total
Hospital operator Ardent Health and insurance distributor TWFG Inc. unveiled price ranges this week on initial public offerings that are expected to raise about $465 million combined under guidance by four law firms, adding life to the summer IPO market.
Expert Analysis
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Insured Takeaways From 10th Circ. Interrelated Claims Ruling
The Tenth Circuit's recent ruling in American Southwest Mortgage v. Continental Casualty that multiple claims arising from consecutive audit years were interrelated — and thus subject to a per claim limit — creates a concerning precedent for policyholders, so companies should negotiate relevant policy language, says Michael Stockalper at Saxe Doernberger.
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Protections May Exist For Cos. Affected By Red Sea Attacks
Companies whose ships or cargo have been affected by the evolving military conflict in the Red Sea, and the countries under whose flags those ships were traveling, may be able to seek redress through legal action against Yemen or Iran under certain international law mechanisms, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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ERISA Litigation Faces New Frontiers In 2024
As plaintiffs firms explore novel theories for recovery and the Department of Labor attempts to broaden the definition of an investment advice fiduciary, 2024 could see new types of Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation after just 100 class actions were filed last year, say attorneys at Groom Law.
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Series
Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer
After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.
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Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?
Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.
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Time To Step Up PFAS Due Diligence In Cross-Border M&A
Regulations in the U.S. and EU governing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances will likely evolve to become global standards out of necessity and scale, so PFAS due diligence — particularly for buyers, sellers, and lenders and investors involved in multijurisdictional mergers and acquisitions — will be essential in 2024, say attorneys at Shipman & Goodwin.
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3 Significant Ohio Insurance Updates From 2023
The past year saw some significant changes and developments in Ohio's insurance coverage landscape, from new bad faith discovery mechanisms relating to out-of-state property to the Ohio Supreme Court's interpretation of what constitutes an assault or battery for coverage purposes, say Jenna Pletcher and William Peseski at Brouse McDowell.
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7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond
The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.
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Consider A Key Insurance Tool For Environmental M&A Deals
Transactional liability insurance can be a useful risk allocation tool for completing mergers and acquisitions in the renewable energy and climate and clean technology sectors, though policies must be structured carefully to achieve maximum coverage, say Joseph Castelluccio and Paul de Bernier at Mayer Brown.
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5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024
Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
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Ill. Justices Set New Standard For Analyzing Defect Claims
The Illinois Supreme Court's recent ruling in Acuity v. M/I Homes of Chicago has effectively changed the landscape for how insurers may respond to construction defect claims in the state, so insurers should carefully focus their coverage analysis on whether the business risk exclusions are applicable, say Bevin Carroll and Julie Klein at Kennedys.
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Opinion
Policyholders Must Object To Insurer Reorganizations
When insurance companies reorganize, policies often take years to ultimately pay out a fraction of what is owed, so policyholders should organize and urge insurance commissioners to take action when retroactive reinsurance deals are announced, says Jonathan Terrell at KCIC.
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Series
ESG Around The World: South Africa
While South Africa has yet to mandate the reporting of nonfinancial and environmental, social, and corporate governance issues, policy documents and recent legislative developments are likely to have a material impact in the country's transition to a low-carbon economy and in meeting its international obligations, say Glynn Kent at Eversheds Sutherland.
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4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year
As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
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Ill. BIPA Ruling May Spark Violation-Of-Law Exclusion Fight
An Illinois appeals court's recent holding in National Fire Insurance v. Visual Pak that a violation-of-law exclusion didn't preclude coverage for an underlying Biometric Information Privacy Act suit contradicts an earlier Seventh Circuit decision that aligns with long-standing insurance law principles — which may lead the state's high court to weigh in, says Tae Andrews at Pasich.